Oprah's Best Books of 2012 include selections from O's editors and favorite writers. NPR goes beyond the usual fiction, mysteries and Nancy Pearl favorites with categories like "10 Eye-Catching Reads", "Recipe Rebellion: A Year of Contrarian Cookbooks" and "Graphic Novels that Flew Under the Radar in 2012."

For readers looking for something different -- think edgy, unusual, underground favorites -- check out the “best books” rankings from the Daily Beast and Book Riot. The underground -- undersea fiber-optic cables -- gets special mention in Andrew Blum's Tubes, an exploration of the infrastructure of the Internet.